Picture It: A Poster is Worth a Thousand Words

Almost 200 of UC’s graduate students are going to deliver a quick sketch of their latest research efforts during a Poster Forum set for noon-4 p.m. Friday, March 7, on the conference level of UC’s Kingsgate Marriott Conference Center.

According to Lindsey Faber, research associate in the Office of Research and Advanced Studies, a short award ceremony will follow the exhibit in order to recognize the best poster presentations.  Students are judged not on the quality of their research but on their ability to visually and verbally present it to a general audience.  Thus, the Poster Forum is designed to hone students’ presentation and communication skills.

The event coincides with UC’s Graduate Recruitment Weekend which brings top applicants to visit and view the university’s graduate programs.  Among the research presented will be:

• Using Trees to Mitigate Highway Pollution
Environmental engineering graduate student Pamela Funderburg Heckel is helping Tim Keener, professor of civil and environmental engineering, to exploring the environmental and economic benefits of planting trees along interstates as a means for reducing pollution, decreasing mowing costs and saving endangered tree species.  Specifically, the project considers the ability of trees to mitigate the effects of pollutants – like oil, salt and automobile byproducts – found in rainwater runoff. 

• Helping Kidney Dialysis Patients
Pharmacy graduate student Murad Rasem Melhem is assisting Pankaj Desai, associate professor of pharmacy, to develop a better treatment for restenosis, a major problem afflicting kidney dialysis patients.  They are investigating means for delivering medicine directly to the site where the restenosis is to be found without affecting overall circulation. 

• Examining Well-Being and Job Satisfaction Among Nurses
Psychology graduate student Steven A. Sparks is working with Kevin Corcoran, professor of psychology, to measure job satisfaction among nurses at four acute-care hospitals.  Results from their research show that pay is the most important aspect to nurses’ job satisfaction followed by staffing issues, benefits and scheduling.  A majority of nurses, 59 percent, report being very or moderately satisfied with their jobs whie 64 percent plant to remain in the field for at least ten years.

The Poster Forum, which provides a chance to meet these and many other graduate students participating in real-world research, is free and open to the public.  For more information on the event, call 513-556-2379.